Music case or portfolio



(No Model.)

E. F. GREENE. MUSIC OASE OR PORTFOLIO.

o. 554,060. Patented Feb; 4, 1896.

ay LEI UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST F. GREENE, OF FORT DODGE,'IOlVA.

MUSIC CASE OR PORTFOLIO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,060, dated February 4, 1896.

Application filed May 24., 1895. serial No. 550,527. (No model.)

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST F. GREENE, of Fort Dodge, in the county of WVebster and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music Cases or Portfolios; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention contemplates the production of a new and improved case or portfolio for sheets of music and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a case or portfolio of this kind for the c'onven ient. assorting and carrying. of sheet-music for bands, orchestras, &c., said sheets being maintained in a fiat condition in the case and arranged alphabetically or according to the different classes or pieces.

The invention comprises a case or portfolio having the characteristics and novel features of construction, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing the case opened. Fig. 2 is an end view showing the case closed. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View. Fig. 4is a view showing all of the parts opened with the index-sheets reversed, some of them being removed. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the case or portfolio, as an entirety, and the same is composed of two parts a and a, the former being the main or body portion and the latter the cover. The body portion a has two parallel ends a united to the back a and bottom a. The cover part a has two parallel ends I) united to the back I) and top Z), said ends being designed to overlap the ends a when the cover is closed. Thetwo parts a and, a are preferably composed of heavy pasteboard 0, covered with canvas or leather 0, which is of sufficient tenacity to form the pivots or hinges for the cover. The cover a,

has a double-hinge connection D with the part a-that is, a hinge-section d has a cross bar or strip d secured thereto and designed to be secured at its ends to the side a of part a by means of screws (1 lVhen this bar is so secured by said screws the cover a is flexibly hinged and capable of being opened and closed along the line e, but when said screws are removed and the board disconnected from the ends a the cover a can be turned back out of the way on the line 6, the flexible covering forming the hinge for the cover a. An additional strip (2 serves to strengthen this inner hinge along the line e.

E E designate two rods which are rigidly secured to a board or strip F attached to the back a of the part o adjacent to the bottom a over which latter said rods project. At their outer free ends said rods are designed to fit in corresponding holes or openings in bar (1 when the latter is securedv to the ends a of the part a. lVhen, however, said bar is not so secured and the cover a is turned back on the line 6 the ends of said rods E are free and uncovered.

F indicates a series of index-sheets, provided at their inner ends with two holes or eyelets f through which the rods E are designed to project, said sheet-s having at their outer edges indexes f arranged alphabetically or according to the classes or pieces of music it is designed to inclose within the case or folio. To insert these index-sheets on the rods E the cover a is turned back on the line 6 and after said index-sheets have been properly threaded on rods E, the board (1 is closed down over the ends of said rod and rigidly secured to the ends a of the part a. Thus the index-sheets are securely fastened in place and prevented from sliding off the rods E.

The sheets of music are arranged between the several index-sheets either alphabetically or according to the classes or pieces of music, as above stated. To reverse the index-sheets it is only necessary to remove the screws holding bar d and turn back the cover a, when said index-sheets can be removed and reversed and again inserted on the rods E.

To the top (2 of cover a is attached a handle-strap G, while to the exterior of the case or folio, near the ends thereof, are attached two straps g 9 having each at one end a buckle g, the other ends of said straps being perforated so as to engage said buckles. By this means the case or folio when closed can be firmly secured. To each of these straps g is attached a supplemental strap 9 and buckle by means of which abook, a roll of music, a music-stand, or other like article can be carried on the outside of the case or folio.

The advantages of my invention are apparent. It will be readily observed that I have produced an exceedingly simple and inexpensive case or folio for the use of musicians in carrying sheet-music. The sheetn1usic is conveniently arranged between the indexed sheets either alphabetically or according to the classes of music, and upon the exterior of the case or folio additional rolls of music, books or other articles desired by musicians can be conveniently attached. A case or folio thus constructed is extremely simple, inexpensive, strong and durable.

I claim as my invention- 1. A case or portfolio having guide-rods secured at one end and free at their other ends, a hinged cover having a cross-bar designed to inclose said free ends of said guiderods, means for removably securing said cross-bar whereby it may be turned back out of the way and the reversible index-sheets movable on said guide-rods, substantially as set forth.

2. A case or portfolio comprising a body port-ion, guiderods secured at one end and projecting over the bottom of said body portion, the flexibly-hinged cover having a bar for inclosing the free ends of said guide-rods, means for securing the ends of said bar to said body portion and the index-sheets having holes at their inner ends and indices at the outer ends, substantially as set forth.

3. A case or portfolio comprising a body portion having parallel ends, guide-rods secured at one end and free at the other end, a cover having a hinge-section, a cross-bar secured thereto and provided with holes to accommodate said free ends of said guide-rods, and the screws for removably holding said cross-bars to said parallel ends, substantially as set forth.

4. The herein-described case or portfolio for sheet-music, 820., comprising the body portion having a bottom, back and parallel ends, a bar secured to said back, guide-rods projecting from said back over said bottom, the cover having a hinge-section, a back, a top and parallel ends, a cross-bar secured to said hinge-section having holes to accommodate the free ends of said guide-rods, the screws for attaching said cross-bars to said ends of said body portion, the indexshects having holes to accommodate said guide-rods, the handle-strap, and the straps encompass ing said case or portfolio having supplementary straps attached thereto, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ERNEST 1*. GREENE.

\Vitnesses:

G. F. GUSTAFSON, N. ROSE. 

